OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

CITY OF BALTIMORE

Isabel Mercedes Cumming

Inspector General

Investigative
Report Synopsis

OIG Case # 20-0063-I

Issued: April 1, 2021
 OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Isabel Mercedes Cumming, Inspector General
City Hall, Suite 635
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

April 1, 2021

Dear Citizens of Baltimore City,

The Mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to promote accountability, efficiency and
integrity in City government, as well as to investigate complaints of fraud, financial waste and abuse.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Baltimore City Law Department received an email
complaint requesting an OIG investigation into the City’s allocation of funds and services for Carroll Park.
Specifically, the complainant requested the OIG investigate the alleged lack of City resources dedicated
to Carroll Park, the alleged years of deferred maintenance services, and the alleged failure to update the
master plan since 2001 by the Department of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP).

In a narrow review of the fiscal year 2019 1 Carroll Park appropriations and expenditures, the OIG found
$85,295 was allotted to Carroll park for maintenance, but only $46,866.37 was expended for maintenance
related costs. The OIG identified the Carroll Park Recreation Center and Carroll Park Skate Park as areas
in need of restoration.

Additionally, the OIG analyzed 311 service request data from December 2016 to December 2020. During
this period 846 service requests were identified for Carroll Park, of which 308 were classified as
maintenance related. The data shows 89 2 of these service requests remain open. Seventy-two complaints
were created in 2019 and 2020.

The OIG was able to confirm that Carroll Park’s master plan was last updated nineteen years ago. It is
considered best practice and recommended by the City’s Master Plan Project Manager that master plans
be updated every fifteen years.

At times agencies may modify budgets or interpret allocations differently from what is advised by the
Department of Finance. Those breakdowns can lead to actual or perceived examples of fraud, waste, and
abuse. However, the OIG noted Carroll Park may have not received adequate City resources based on a
review of Carroll Park’s expenditures, the resolution and number of services requests, and the physical
condition of the recreational facilities.

BACKGROUND

The BCRP is the City’s leading provider of affordable, year-round leisure and recreational activities for
citizens of all ages and abilities. Within the BCRP, the Bureau of Parks is responsible for the
beautification, management, and maintenance of 4,600 acres of parkland. It also plans and implements

1 Fiscalyear 2019 was used for this investigation because Fiscal Year 2020 was impacted by the global pandemic.
2 The Carroll Park district 311 data listed 89 open service requests. These service request represent a variety of categories
including maintenance, street lights, abandoned vehicles etc.
REPORT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE
HOTLINE: 443-984-3476/800-417-0430 EMAIL: OIG@BALTIMORECITY.GOV WEBSITE: OIG.BALTIMORECITY.GOV
outdoor recreation programs in City parks, including nature and environmental education. Regular park
maintenance functions include grass mowing, ball field preparations, and building and playground repairs.
The General Fund budget for City parks is divided among the City’s five park districts: Druid Hill, Gwynn
Falls, Carroll, Patterson, and Clifton.

METHODOLOGY

The OIG interviewed employees from the BCRP assigned to capital projects, community engagement and
the fiscal department to gain knowledge about fund allocations, restoration, and community engagement.
The OIG analyzed the BCRP’s budget and expenditures related to maintenance in Carroll Park for fiscal
year 2019 (FY19). The OIG communicated with the community engagement team to access their
responsiveness to concerns brought by neighborhood associations and overall communications with the
community. The public master plan information was analyzed by the OIG and reviewed with the Master
Plan Project Manager for understanding and subject matter expertise.

OIG INVESTIGATION

In May 2020, the OIG received a complaint alleging disparities in the BCRP’s distribution of funding and
allocation of resources to Baltimore City park maintenance. Specifically, the complaint alleged that
Carroll Park is underfunded and does not receive the same resources as other Baltimore City parks. The
complaint alleged that because Carroll Park is not in an affluent area of Baltimore City, it is underfunded.
Carroll Park is located in the historic Washington Village-Pigtown neighborhood in southwest Baltimore.

General Funds and Maintenance Allocation

This OIG investigation focused on the park maintenance, community engagement, and the master plan of
Carroll Park. Carroll Park’s total budget for fiscal year 2019 3 was $1,514,609.00 and the actual expenditure
was $1,538,998. A narrow focus on Carroll Park maintenance appropriations and expenditures supplied by
the Bureau of Budget and Management Research (BBMR), determined that $85,295 was allotted for
maintenance, but only $46,866.37 was expended for the budgeted services as outlined below.
Table 1: Summary of FY19 Carroll Park Appropriation and Expenditures related to maintenance and improvements

State Fund Allocations for City Parks

The BCRP also receives funds from the State of Maryland for City parks. According to the BCRP fiscal
department, State funds are used as needed for park maintenance and capital projects. A BCRP employee

3 Fiscal year 2019 was used for this investigation because Fiscal Year 2020 was impacted by the global pandemic
REPORT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE
HOTLINE: 443-984-3476/800-417-0430 EMAIL: OIG@BALTIMORECITY.GOV WEBSITE: OIG.BALTIMORECITY.GOV
informed the OIG that capital funds are allocated based on requests. The OIG was informed that BCRP
staff have engaged in recent conversation about renovations to Carroll Park’s recreational facilities.

The BBMR budget publication displays that in FY19, BCRP received $1,610,099 in State funds
designated for park maintenance. A BCRP fiscal employee explained the funds are part of the Program
Open Space (POS) 4 initiative to maintain green spaces across the State. BCRP was unable to confirm if
any of the POS funds were spent for maintenance in Carrol Park. The BCRP fiscal employee explained
the funding is kept in one account and the funds are not budgeted by park, but rather used as needed for
any park. The BCRP fiscal employee added that there are current efforts underway to allocate the POS
funds in a more transparent format.

Community Engagement and Park Maintenance

The BCRP leadership created the Community Engagement Team (CET) approximately two years ago to
increase communication between BCRP and the community. The mission of the CET has been impacted
by the global pandemic. However, according to CET, during the pandemic they have continued efforts to
connect with the community via virtual platforms to gather community input.

The CET confirmed that there are issues surrounding Carroll Park, but explained that their staff is limited,
and their responsibilities encompass all City Parks, small and large. The CET informed the OIG that they
are actively engaging with many community and neighborhood associations. The CET stated the Carroll
Park Recreation Center could be a great asset to the Carroll Park community, though it has been closed
since 2012. The center last operated as a Police Athletic League (PAL) program. 5 Currently the vacant
recreation center and active skate park need major improvements and renovations (Exhibit 1). The Capital
Development and Plaining division of the BCRP estimated that it would cost between $500,000 to $1
million dollar to renovate Carroll Park’s skate park and an additional $25,000 to $50,000 in annual
operating costs. 6 Additionally, the estimated cost to renovate the Carroll Park recreation center ranges
from $1.44 million to $3.3 million. The operating costs for the recreation center are estimated at $250,000
to $350,000 annually.

Carroll Park Service Requests

The OIG analyzed data from 311 service requests to see if the data supports deferred maintenance or an
untimely response to service requests. Service request data from December 2016 to December 2020 for
Carroll Park was reviewed for the purpose of this analysis and findings are displayed in Table 2. Carroll
Park received 846 service requests, of which 89 7 have yet to be addressed. 8 Carroll Park has the highest
percentage of unresolved complaints at 10%, compared to Patterson Park, Middle Branch Park, Druid
Hill, and Montebello. Additionally, the average time to close a complaint at Carroll Park was eight days
longer than the other reviewed parks.

4
Program Open Space is an initiative by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to provide financial and technical
assistance to local subdivisions for the planning, acquisition, and/or development of recreation land or open space areas.
5 The PAL is an organization that offers mentorship to young people and assists with homework and activities.
6 This estimate does not include design costs.
7 The years and number of open service requests is as follows, 2020-58, 2019-14, 2018-11, and 2017-6.
8 Due to the ransomware attack some service requests may have been addressed and not closed.

REPORT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

HOTLINE: 443-984-3476/800-417-0430 EMAIL: OIG@BALTIMORECITY.GOV WEBSITE: OIG.BALTIMORECITY.GOV
Table 2: Summary of Carroll Park 311 service request data from December 2016 – December 2020

The review also determined 308 of the 846 service requests for Carroll Park were related to maintenance
concerns, outlined in Chart 1. These service requests included building, land, and park maintenance, in
addition to street cleaning and the removal of fallen trees and/or tree limbs.
Chart 1: Types of 311 Carroll Park service requests from December 2016 – December 2020

Carroll Park Master Plan

On November 13, 2020, the OIG interviewed the BCRP Capital Projects Team (Capital) to gather
information about BCRP master plans. A master plan includes information about use of a park, the history
of the park, and how the City plans to use the park in the future. Capital told the OIG master plans range
in size and can represent information spanning many years. The average age of the sixteen City park
master plans listed on BCRP’s website is fourteen years. Carroll Park’s master plan is nineteen years old,
four years beyond Capital’s suggested age limit.

According to Capital the focus has been on implementation, which is why Carroll Park’s master plan has
not been updated. Capital informed the OIG that they are aware of the condition of the Carroll Park
recreation center and skate park. Capital created a plan for a new recreation center in 2015 (Exhibit 2).
However, the plan became less of a priority as BCRP leadership and direction changed. Capital suggested
a new master plan could be developed for Carroll Park incorporating the planning and recommendations

REPORT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

HOTLINE: 443-984-3476/800-417-0430 EMAIL: OIG@BALTIMORECITY.GOV WEBSITE: OIG.BALTIMORECITY.GOV
Exhibit 1
Case # 20-0063-I
Vacant Recreational Center

Park Facilities
 Skate Park

Close-up of cracks in Skate Park

Exhibit 2
Case # 20-0063-I
 Recreation & Parks
Executive Director Response
Case # 20-0063-I
 DEPARTMENT OF
CITY OF BALTIMORE RECREATION AND PARKS
REGINALD MOORE, Executive Director
BRANDON M. SCOTT, Dr. Ralph W. E. Jones, Jr. Building
MAYOR 3001 East Drive - Druid Hill Park
Baltimore, Maryland 21217
410-396-7900
Monday, March 15, 2021

Attn: Isabel Mercedes Cumming, Inspector General

Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
100 North Holliday Street, Suite# 635
Baltimore, MD 21202

RE: OIG Management Alert Case # 20-0063-I

Dear Inspector General Cumming,

The City of Baltimore, Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) has received and reviewed the
February 11, 2021 memo and related documentation pertaining to the Office of the Inspector
General (OIG) Anonymous Complaint Case # 20-0063-I. The complainant alleged a lack of City
resources dedicated to Carroll Park, the years of deferred maintenance services and the failure to
update the masterplan since 2001 by the Department of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks
(BCRP).

In reviewing the case and supporting documents provided, the management and staff of BCRP
maintain that Carroll Park has received its fair share of resources allocated to the Carroll Park
District.

Funding Allocation

The primary source of funds for the maintenance of City parks is the General Funds. Each year this
primary source of funds is appropriated in the agency’s annual budget to fund the maintenance of
the 4,600 acres of park land. The allocation of the appropriated fund among the 4,600 acres of
parks and grassland is facilitated through the Park Districts. The Districts were created with the
establishment of physical boundaries marked by select streets and landmarks. The five Park Districts
the Parks Bureau established are Carroll Park, Clifton Park, Druid Hill Park, Gwynn’s Falls Park and
Patterson Park. Each district consists of several hundred patch work acres of parks and open spaces
for the Parks Bureau to maintain.

For example, the Carroll Park District stretches from the President Street in downtown Baltimore to
Fort Armstead and along the edge of Arundel County, around to West Baltimore to Fort Smallwood
then coming north to Frederick Street. The Carrol Park district contains some major and notable
parks such as Carroll Park, Middle Branch Park and Reedbird Park. Carroll Park is the major and
most used park in the district. It houses the headquarters for the district and therefore commands
most of the attention and maintenance resources in the overall district’s General Fund budget. With
that in mind, the budgeted line items which have been presented as an indication of a poorly
maintained Carroll Park, is not accurate.
Each park district has its allocation of the General Fund budget, a management team, and staff to
maintain the hundreds of parks and green open spaces within the district. The Carroll Park District
budget was appropriated to serve all the parks and green open spaces in the district and not just
Carroll Park. For clarification, $85, 295 was allocated to the entire district for maintenance.

409 General Operating and Maintenance Supplies $41,586

410 Equipment Maintenance and Repair Supplies $5,747
411 Real Property Maintenance and Repair Supplies $5,747
450 Supplies for Land Maintenance (Rec and Parks) $32,215
Total $85, 295

The expenditure patterns for these selected line items should not be interpreted as the quality of
maintenance service in the district. While it is accurate that only $46,866, was expended on
maintenance, the entire budget allocated to Carroll Park District was expended.1 It is not unusual to
see surpluses on some line items and deficits on another. In fact, the Carroll Park District budget
has been overspent and expenditures for the selected line items are often subsidized by other
funding sources such as the State funded Program Open Space funds, Table Games funds through
the Planning Department, the South Baltimore Gateway grant or the Facilities Maintenance
Division. Each of these additional funding sources have been playing a major role in the
maintenance of the parks both in Carroll Park and the Carroll Park District. The attached sheet
shows a list of projects that were undertaken by the South Baltimore Gateway in a comprehensive
donation agreement with BCRP for the past couple of years. This is an ongoing partnership with a
mission to improve the quality of park service in the Carroll Park District and its most popular and
most used Carroll Park.

Carroll Park Service Requests

The service request (SR) system is managed by the City’s 311 system. There are known challenges
with the reliability of the current system. One major issue is that the current system is unable to
separate and close service requests which require multi-agency actions. For example, if a citizen files
a service request about Carroll Park and that request requires actions by more than one agency, the
system is unable to close the request for the Agency that has completed its action. Therefore, one
likely explanation for the high number of open SRs for Carroll could be that the SRs require multi-
agency action. BCRP might have completed their action, but the SRs remain open due to inaction
by another agency. Further, the Parks Bureau has a policy of acting or closing an SR within seventy-
two (72) hours after receiving it. The Park Bureau latest SR table below shows that there are
currently 105 SRs open for the Carroll Park District, which also includes Carroll Park. The oldest SR
is dated October 01, 2020. Please note, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, crews are
operating at 50%. This reduction in staff has resulted in some delays in response time.

1
See Exhibit 2. Carroll Park FY19 adopted budget was $1,514,609 and the FY19 actual expenditures 1,538,998.
 Park Maintenance SR Report 02/01 - 02/28/21
Service Requests Total - 105

Oct- New District

Description Jan SR’s Date of oldest SR District Asst. Manager Manager

Carroll Park District

Street Lighting 13 0 10/8/2020

Playgrounds 4 2 10/15/2020
Ballfields 0 0
Grass Cutting 1 0 10/16/2020
Graffiti Removal 9 1 10/21/2020
Bldg Maintenance 16 2 10/1/2020
Park Maintenance 42 15 10/2/2020
Custodial 0 0
Total 85 20

Carroll Park Master Plan

A park master plan is a plan to develop a park under the right circumstances. It is always the goal of
the BCRP to fully implement every master plan. However, the right circumstances include available
funding and a supportive government administration for the plan to be fully implemented. Over,
the years and through various administrations at the City and Agency level, numerous master plans
have been developed. Many of the plans were limited in scope, focusing primarily on individual
parks or facilities. Unfortunately, many plans remain unfunded and never implemented. The Carroll
Park master plan is among those that were not fully implemented due to the lack of financial and
administrative support.

In response to the various masterplans that remain and as a part of the BCRP’s 5-year strategic plan,
REC2025; BCRP is developing an Agency-wide comprehensive plan.2 As a part of REC2025, the
Agency will reassess past plans to determine the current capacity to complete past projects. The
comprehensive plan will include: (1) an inventory of BCRP green spaces and facilities; and (2)
capacity mapping to determine BCRP’s staffing and financial capacity to handle current and
proposed capital projects, inclusive of existing master plans. Ultimately, BCRP capital projects,

2
The full REC2025 plan is available at www.myrec2025.com
including implementation of master plans, will be prioritized, funded, and implemented with an
emphasis on equity and access. The Carrol Park master plan along with the others that have
accumulated over the last 3 decades will be considered and addressed in this process.

BCRP is committed to utilizing its available funding and resources in a manner that ensures our
parks meet the needs of the community now and in the future.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Reginald Moore
Executive Director
City of Baltimore, Department of Recreation & Parks (BCRP)
SBGP Donations YF19
 Method Of SBGP
Budgetary Payment/Work SBGP Accountancy Contract
Item Amount Responsibility Code Under Contract ID SBGP Strategic Focus Area Neighborhood Park Notes Column1

Parks Activation Committee Programming/Funding

Parks Activation Reserve Location throughout the Parks in the District.
Committee This project deliverables will be determined by a
Programming/Funding planning committee decisions to best activate the
Reserve $ 203,247.00 SBGP's Vendors 51100-ES Program No TBD Health and Wellness District Wide General district parks.
Enhanced Landscaping for Middle Branch and Fed Hill.
Location Federal Hill and Middle Branch Parks. This
51200-ES project will continue to provide improvements to
Enhanced Landscaping for Maintenance & landscaping to these spaces in Cherry Hill ($50,000) and
Middle Branch and Fed Hill $ 100,000.00 SBGP's Vendors Routine Landscaping No TBD Environmental Sustainability District Wide General Federal Hill ($50,000).

51200-ES Barre Circle Location Barre Circle Park. This project is

Maintenance & Barre Circle for mowing services managed South Baltimore Gateway
Barre Circle $ 7,000.00 SBGP's Vendors Routine Landscaping No TBD Environmental Sustainability Barre Circle Neighborhood Partnership.
Community Plantings Locations through out the
51200-ES District. This project is for general planting services
Maintenance & throughout the district managed South Baltimore
Community Plantings $ 30,000.00 SBGP's Vendors Routine Landscaping No TBD Environmental Sustainability District Wide General Gateway Partnership.

Mayor's Stage at Direct Payment to 65091-

Parkapalooza $ 600.00 BCRP BCRP Operations(Marketing) TBD Marketing Pigtown Location Carroll Park For Mayor's Stage Sponsorship

51200-ES Fed Hill Cleaning - Location Federal Hill Park. This

Maintenance & project is for Federal Hill and Gateway Parks plantings,
Fed Hill Cleaning $ 30,000.00 SBGP's Vendors Routine Landscaping No TBD Health and Wellness Federal Hill General watering and cleaning.

Carroll Park Exercise Equipment Location Carroll Park.

This project will provide funding for exercise equipment
Carroll Park Exercise Community Development and Pigtown/Washingto in Carroll Park. The locations will be determined as park
Equipment $ 80,000.00 SBGP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization n Village Carroll Park plans are completed. No contractor selected

Fed Hill Cannon Upgrade Location Federal Hill Park. This

project is for cannon upgrades and general cannon
Community Development and parts replacement managed by the Waterfront
Fed Hill Cannon Upgrade $ 20,000.00 SBGP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Federal Hill Federal Hill Park Partnership. No contractor selected.

Middle Branch-Community Connectivity Study Location

Middle Branch Park. This project is to conduct a study
to determine the best method to connect Middle
Middle Branch-Community Community Development and Branch Park with the surrounding neighborhoods. No
Connectivity Study $ 50,000.00 SBGP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Cherry Hill Middle Branch contractor has been selected.
 Method Of SBGP
Budgetary Payment/Work SBGP Accountancy Contract
Item Amount Responsibility Code Under Contract ID SBGP Strategic Focus Area Neighborhood Park Notes Column1

Riverside Traffic Calming Project. Location Riverside

Riverside Traffic Calming Park. This project is for the Riverside Traffic Calming
Project $ 60,000.00 SBGP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Health and Wellness Riverside General Project that is undergoing planning.
Washington Blvd. Location Pigtown. This project is for
Washington Blvd Storm Water Management project.
Pigtown/Washingto This project will be completed once the project is fully
Washington Blvd $ 90,000.00 SBGP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Health and Wellness n Village General funded. No contractor selected.
Community Development and Pigtown/Washingto Parkapalooza. Location Carroll Park. This project is a
Parkapalooza $ 83,200.00 BCRP 51100-ES Program No TBD Revitalization n Village Carroll Park contribution to BCRP's park concert.

Westport Playground Maintenance Location Wesport,

51200-ES Florence Cummings Park. This project will provide
Westport Playground Maintenance & Community Development and Florence Cummings general repair to the playground equipment once
Maintenance $ 1,800.00 BCRP Routine Landscaping No TBD Revitalization Westport Park installed. No contractor selected.

Ripken Field 1 Location Reedbird Park Cherryhill. This

Community Development and Cherry Hill/Reedbird project is to contribute tot the building of a Ripken
Ripken Field 1 $ 500,000.00 Ripken Foundation 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Cherry Hill Park Field. Contractor chosen - Ripken Foundation.

Solo Gibbs Playground Installation Prep This project is

for playground installation at Florence Cummings Park.
Solo Gibbs Playground Community Development and The site will be determined during the Master Planning
Installation Prep $ 58,500.00 BCRP 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Sharp-Leadenhall Solo Gibbs Park process.
Carroll & Archer. Location Carroll and Archer Streets.
Community Development and This project is for a proposed tot lot. Project requires
Carroll & Archer $ 40,000.00 BCRP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Pigtown/Washington Carroll & Archer Park approval of BCRP.

Mt Winans Master Planning and Community Garden

Mt Winans Master Feasibility Study. Location Mt. Winans. This project is
Planning and Community Community Development and established for a planning and analysis to determine if a
Garden Feasibility Study $ 30,000.00 BCRP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Mount Winans Atlantic/Paca St community garden can be sustained.
Middle Branch Exercise Equipment. This project will
provide funding for exercise equipment in Middle
Middle Branch Exercise Community Development and Branch Park. The locations will be determined as park
Equipment $ 100,000.00 BCRP's Vendors 51300-ES Capital No TBD Revitalization Cherry Hill Middle Branch plans are completed.

Total $ 1,484,347.00

Method Of
Budgetary Payment/Work SBGP Accountancy SBGP Strategic
Item Amount Responsibility Code SBGP Contract ID Focus Area Neighborhood Park Notes
Department of Finance
Director Response
Case # 20-0063-I